Saint MaryÂ?s prof: Resolve to love body, not lose pounds

Book examines women's struggles with body image.

Book examines women's struggles with body image.

January 01, 2009|By ALICIA GALLEGOS Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- As the ball drops to ring in the new year, the pressure rises for many women to win the same battle they face year after year. The war against weight. But a communications professor at Saint Mary's College has a message contrary to the usual bursting-at the-seams advice given this time of year on how to lose those pounds. Go ahead and indulge, says assistant professor Terri L. Russ. Celebrate every curve, and for goodness sakes, stop counting every calorie. Instead, Russ believes women should work on loving their bodies and becoming confident inside them, while escaping the impossible standards rooted in their own minds. She recently wrote a book on the subject called "Bitchin' Bodies," which analyzes women's body dissatisfaction and explores the expectations to achieve the "ideal beauty." The book is based on interviews Russ conducted with hundreds of women, primarily college-aged. Especially around the holidays, Russ says the standards skyrocket for women as they worry about what to eat (and not eat) at holiday parties, how to fit into the perfect dress, and even how to sit properly so as to minimize their perceived "rolls," Russ has found. "Holiday parties are supposed to be about having fun and spending time with friends and family," Russ says. "But we spend so much time worrying about the advice magazines give us, (and) having so many questions in our heads, we're not enjoying the moment." Through her research, Russ found that although body obsessions seemed to be magnified during the college years, the negative perceptions continue as women grow older, remaining with them even in old age. What was particularly disturbing was that no matter what shape or size the women were -- be it a size 20 or size 2 -- Russ says the women were still unhappy with their bodies. "Not matter what place they were in," she says, "the ideal beauty is still the same distance away." Russ acknowledges the country's current "obesity epidemic" but says she wonders how much of the hype is true and how much of it is hyperbole. "By having (one cookie), we're not going to become instantly obese," she says. Of course, not everyone agrees that widespread obesity is exaggerated. Sarah Cichowicz, a marketing spokeswoman for Memorial Health and Lifestyle Center and who has a degree in exercise science, says the rate of obesity locally and nationally is concerning. She has seen firsthand the illnesses that come from being overweight, including high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and joint problems. Finding the right balance is key, Cichowicz says, adding that a difference exists between a fit person who is overly concerned about their weight vs. someone who could be having significant health problems. So agrees Jenny Kerrigan, a dietitian with the Indiana Dairy Council, who says residents should be cognizant of nutrient-rich foods and proper physical activity. "Everything centers around being healthy," she says. "And not being perfect." Russ admits that part of the reason she wrote the book stemmed from how she felt about her own body and the way she, too, suffered through jeans shopping and bathing suit-buying. "I'm not a skinny-mini," she says, adding that she at one time was between a size 14 to 16. Having reduced stress in her life recently -- some of which had to do with body concerns -- Russ says she naturally went down to a size 10 to 12. As for the coming new year, the professor suggests that women not make traditional resolutions, which she believes is the same as setting themselves up for failure. Resolve instead to reflect back on the year and choose one achievable change, she says, such as to stop comparing oneself to others, be realistic about their own standards, or -- as Russ recently succeeded in -- overcoming a fear of potato chips. Staff writer Alicia Gallegos: agallegos@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6368